FOOTWEAR HAVING A SOLE FORMED WITH A CAVITY RECEIVING A HIGHLY VISCOUS GEL

Abstract

A shoe support structure comprising a hard rubber-like material and a gel material. The rubber-like material is constructed so that it has a change in thickness beginning at the arch, where it slopes down, leveling out at a thickness of about 1¼ inches. This change in thickness creates a frontal recess, leaving a bead of rubber at the outer edge. This cavity holds a thick cushion of about 1¾ inches of highly viscous gel material held in place by the rubber lip and adhered to the elastic material. This creates a cushion when the foot applies weight. The front of the sole and the back of the heel are equal in height, giving the entire surface equal height planes for balance. The two materials are one rubber like, one gel like and slope toward each other at the arch in identical angles.

Claims

1. A shoe sole comprised of: a rubber material formed in a first layer; a gel material formed in a second layer positioned adjacent to said first layer; and an adhesive; wherein said sole includes four portions: a heel portion, an arch portion, a front portion and a lip portion; wherein said rubber material is positioned substantially along the entire length of said heel portion, said arch portion, and said front portion; wherein said lip portion is constructed of said rubber material; wherein said heel portion is constructed of said rubber material; wherein a thickness of said rubber material layer of said arch portion gradually decreases from a distal end of said arch portion to a proximal end of said arch portion, such that said thickness of said rubber material layer decreases from said heel portion to said front portion of said sole, creating a recess from said distal end of said arch portion of said sole portion to said proximate end of said front portion; wherein said recess is substantially ringed by said lip portion; and wherein said recess comprises said gel material. wherein said sole is about 3 inches thick along an entire length of said sole; wherein a thickness of said rubber material layer of said front portion is about 1.25 inches along said entire length of said front portion; wherein said gel material fills said recess such that a thickness of said gel material layer is about 1.75 inches along said entire length of said front portion and wherein said thickness of said gel material layer gradually decreases from said proximal end of said arch portion to said distal end of said arch portion such that said thickness of said gel material layer decreases from said front portion of said sole to said heel portion of said sole; and wherein said adhesive secures said gel material layer to a side of said rubber material layer; wherein said arch portion is positioned between said heel portion and said sole portion and is substantially rectangular; wherein said adhesive is configured to secure said gel material to said rubber material at said sole portion and said arch portion; wherein said heel portion and said sole portion have a common surface lying substantially in a unitary plane; wherein said rubber material of said heel portion extends to said sole portion; wherein a thickness of said rubber material is constant at said heel portion and said sole portion; wherein a thickness of said rubber material gradually decreases from a distal end of said arch portion to a proximal end of said arch portion, such that said thickness of said harder material decreases from said heel portion to said sole portion creating a recess from said distal end of said arch portion to said proximate end of said sole portion.

2. The shoe sole of claim 1 wherein said rubber material is a rubber-like material.

3. The shoe sole of claim 1 wherein said sole is about 3 inches thick along an entire length of said sole; wherein a thickness of said rubber material layer of said front portion is less than 1.25 inches along said entire length of said front portion; and wherein said gel layer fills said recess, such that a thickness of said gel layer is more than 1.75 inches along said entire length of said front portion and wherein said thickness of said gel layer gradually decreases from said proximal end of said arch portion to said distal end of said arch portion, such that said thickness of said gel layer decreases from said front portion of said sole to said heel portion of said sole.

4. The shoe sole of claim 1 wherein said sole is about 3 inches thick along an entire length of said sole; wherein a thickness of said rubber material layer of said front portion is more than 1.25 inches along said entire length of said front portion; and wherein said gel layer fills said recess, such that a thickness of said gel layer is less than 1.75 inches along said entire length of said front portion and where-in said thickness of said gel layer gradually decreases from said proximal end of said arch portion to said distal end of said arch portion, such that said thickness of said gel layer decreases from said front portion of said sole to said heel portion of said insole.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 is a top view of the foot support structure of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the foot support structure taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

[0024] FIG. 3 is a top view similar to the view shown in FIG. 1, but showing the respective materials used to form the heel and sole portions of the preferred embodiments;

[0025] FIG. 4 is a left-side view of the entire shoe in which the foot support structure of FIG. 1 is employed;

[0026] FIG. 5 is a right-side view of the show of FIG. 4; and

[0027] FIG. 6 is a top view of the shoe of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0028] According to embodiments of the claimed subject matter, various soles, insoles and methods of fabricating soles and insoles are provided and may be generally described with the reference to FIGS. 1-6 showing, but not limited to, certain exemplary embodiments of the inventive subject matter.

[0029] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that an exemplary embodiment of the present claimed subject matter is shown as used in a sports shoe commonly referred to as a sneaker. In the conventional sneaker, the entire foot support structure (the sole or insole) is typically made of rubber or a rubber-like material. In the present invention, the term “sole” refers to support structures that are included with the shoe during manufacturing and the term “insole” refers to support structures that are used to replace the foot support structures of previously manufactured shoes.

[0030] In the present embodiments, the foot support structure, a sole or insole structure as used with a shoe, has a compound configuration made of two different materials, namely a rubber material and a gel material. The rubber material can be made of rubber or of any suitable rubber blend known to those skilled in the art which would result in rubber like characteristics. Similarly, the gel material may be made of any gel type of compound known to those skilled in the art. The rubber and gel materials can also be combined in various configurations, for example 40% rubber and 60% gel, 30% rubber and 70% gel, 70% rubber and 30% gel or the two materials may be combined together or with another material in any other combination suitable to those skilled in the art.

[0031] In the heel region of the described embodiments, the sole or insole support structure remains rubber or rubber-like material throughout the entire thickness of the structure. However, in the sole region where the arch, ball of the foot, metatarsal bones and the phalanges (the toe bones), the rubber material thickness is reduced to less than half of the overall thickness of the support structure allowing the formation of a large recess. This recess receives a gel material. The characteristics of the gel material make it much softer and more compressible than the rubber or rubber-like material. In several embodiments, such as those used with a sneaker-type sports shoe, the gel is a silicone gel or viscoelastic urethane polymer having a durometer of about 10 on the Shore-OOO scale to 50 on the Shore-A scale.

[0032] The recess for accommodating the gel is formed from the rubber that constitutes the conventional sneaker heel. In many of the embodiments, the recess is formed integral to the sole but, in other embodiments, the recess may be formed in an insole placed within the shoe over the sole. In several embodiments using a tennis or sneaker type of shoe, an exemplary sole integrated within the shoes can have a total thickness of approximately three inches. The thickness can also be greater, such as 4, 6 or 8 inches or it can be less, such as 0.2, 0.5, 1 or 2 inches. In these embodiments, all or a large portion of the heel region thickness is made up of the standard hard rubber material which can typically be found in sneakers. In many of these embodiments, the rubber forms only the bottom 40% to 45% of the three-inch-thick sole and the top 55% to 60% of the sole is formed from the gel material. In other embodiments, the rubber may form less than 40% or more than 45% and the gel may occupy less than 55% or more than 60% of the volume of the sole.

[0033] Also in these embodiments, in order to provide structural support for the gel, the rubber material forms a small bead partially surrounding the entire perimeter of the recess receiving the gel. The bead would typically be about ¼ inch in height above the full layer of rubber which provides a platform in the recess for receiving the gel layer residing in the recess. The bead could be higher or lower depending on the desired configuration of the rubber material/gel material combination and whether or not any other materials are also used with the rubber material/gel material combination. For instance, the bead could be ⅛ inch in height, ⅓ inch in height or 2 inches in height. Many of the embodiments may include soles and insoles using the aforementioned combinations of materials for other types of shoes including other types of athletic and non-athletic shoes such as dress shoes for men and women.

[0034] In many of the described embodiments, the transition between the all-rubber heel and the gel/rubber sole, occurs at the arch region of the sneaker where the thickness of the gel is diminished linearly over about a 2 to 3-inch length along the axis of the sneaker as shown for example in FIGS. 1 and 2. The area with overlap between gel and rubber can be coated with a suitable adhesive to secure the gel to the rubber although any other method of fastening such as heat sealing may be used. In addition, the respective thicknesses are carefully controlled to maintain a relatively flat sole surface (or insole surface if an insole is used) for promoting foot comfort and balance. In other embodiments, the sole surface (or insole surface if the embodiment is an insole rather than a sole) can be inclined or declined as desired.

[0035] As used in these embodiments, the rubber like material in the heel region is a harder layer used to provide stability for the wearer allowing the wearer to balance when stepping, standing or running. For instance, when the heel or the toe initially contact the surface at the heel, that impact area bears the entire weight of the wearer's body so it needs to be stable. The step continues to roll across the gel leading to a downward pressure on the remainder of the upper surface of the support structure. When the wearer is standing, the balance of the weight is at the heel, not in the front of the foot so any unstable material in the heel area of the shoe may cause instability. Impacts from walking or running can lead to stress and potential injury to the ankle or leg.

[0036] There are a variety of rubber-like materials that can be used in place of rubber. These rubber-like materials offer a variety of elastomer characteristics including Shore scale A hardness, elongation at break, tear resistance and tensile strength.

[0037] In the drawings, a tennis shoe or sneaker is illustrated but any type of shoe may be used with embodiments of the present claimed subject matter. As previously mentioned, the foot support structure (insole or sole) can have various thicknesses and shapes depending on the structure of the shoe. Any suitable thickness and shape may be used.

[0038] It will now be understood that the embodiments of the claimed subject matter relate to use of a relatively thick layer of gel material in the front or sole portion of an insole where it resides in a recess formed from a more conventional rubber or rubber-like material configured as the heel portion and the remainder of the insole. It is believed that the novelty of the inventive subject matter herein resides primarily in the use of such a thick gel portion throughout the sole region of the foot support structure while nevertheless retaining a relatively planar insole surface that provides a user with a sense of balance and a high degree of comfort. However, the scope hereof is limited only by the appended claims.